Fresh frosted fruit flakes...

...'Asian Beauty' indeed, this a.m., at the front door's first snowfall of the season.

I am trying to guess what that asian beauty could be...I don't think I am learning very well.

Look at the "Valley's" first name and you'll have it! (:o)
Mike

Well, I have a lot to learn about Viburnums from y'all (do y'all say it that way in yer part of KY, VV?), but the V. dilatatums (of which Asian Beauty is one) have definitely found a place in my heart, and quite a few places in my garden. I have an Asian Beauty which I got from Fairweather but it has been moved around so much in the past few years that it doesn't yet feel like fruiting much, so I really haven't got to see it in its full glory.

These fruits look like a fairly dark red. Is that the way they come out in early fall, or a function of the frist few good freezes, or even the flash lighting in yer photo?

Looks like this one is a fairly heavy fruiter, VV -- how does it compare with the others?

well now I really feel stupid..it's very pretty however.

VV, it's the one viburnum a girlfriend has and it's all by its lonely. What's a good pollinator for it?

levilyla,
No need to feel stupid. It was a legit question and now you know. The viburnums are very ornamental plants with multi-season interest. Hopefully, you'll now feel "possessed" to add a few (or 10) viburnums to your landscape. (:o)
Mike

Trouble is I have some and didn't recognise...................I don't have that one however. Thank you Mike.

LL and I made our first acquaintance over a Viburnum dilatatum ID, and she enjoyed the naming opportunity.

To wit: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/578604/

Wild raisin:

'Asian Beauty' blooms in the middle of the Viburnum dilatatum pack, so just about any of them will make a great mate. Pick a size, form, or fruit color, and make haste!

•'Catskill' is a compact early blooming form with red fruit
•'Erie' is large and round, heavy arrays of flowers/fruit, red turning coral with cold
•'Iroquois' is large and broad rounded, with dark red fruit
•'Cardinal Candy' will be a large shrub with bright red fruit (I don't have a large plant yet)
•'Michael Dodge' is large, round, blooms latest, and has yellow fruit turning golden orange with cold

David:

I think that's: "Hey, y'all, watch this!"

Imagine video clip worthy of worldwide broadcast of some inane activity approaching self-mutilation; high-speed full-body impacts; or consumption of indescribable substances.

How we might say it then pales in comparison.

'Asian Beauty' has pretty much cherry red fruit from maturation; it does darken with the onset of repeated freezes, but persists till spring leaf out when mockingbirds and cardinals finish the strip.

I'll find my Viburnum dilatatum "nose-print" ratings post, and hyperlink it in this thread.

Here's 'Michael Dodge' from this morning.

Here's a closer look at Viburnum dilatatum 'Asian Beauty'.

Holiday cheer just bustin' out all over...here's Ilex opaca 'Judy Evans'.

And finally, sans frosting, is Ilex x 'Bonfire' with nary a space left for more fruit.

Thanks VV. I've saved most of your threads from previous viburnum discussion, but at the moment, I can't locate it. I have Asian Beauty, Michael Doge and Cardinal Candy. Big ole duh on my part. See levilyla, you're not the only one! Hey VV, how bug do these need to be to make fruit? Michael is about 3 1/2 ft tall and Asian Beauty is probably 3 ft tall, Cardinal Candy put out some growth this year, and is probably about 4 ft tall. All are in their second year.

When did you get snow? Not fair, I want some.

I can't find my V. dilatatum ratings post; I'll look more when I get home.

Wild Raisin:

Those sizes are adequate to flower and fruit. 2007 should be a banner year.

Snow surprise; came this a.m.

Thanks John, I hope you're correct and they bloom and fruit. They didn't even bloom last year, I forgot about that.

You're lucky, I love snow.

I found the old Viburnum dilatatum ratings post (circa 2003); some of you have seen this before -- take a nap, because it's a marathon.

I was once asked:

So I answered, with updates for 2006:

Now you've gone and done it - the cat's out of the bag (sorry, UK alumnus joke). Once asked, twice pontificate.

I have hesitated to go overboard without specificity to a question since contributors here range over so many zones of the US and world. Please read Dirr and other authors for additional cultural information, and opinion that may be closer to your zone of reference. Also, always respect if a species is suspected of rampant/invasive behavior in your region; the worst gardener is the one who brings uninvited plants to others' dinners. So, with deference to Scott, David, Kevin, and others who have waxed eloquently previously, here goes.

Viburnum dilatatum, IMHO, reigns supreme around here for exceptional fruiting and persistence. None of the other viburnum species/clones I have planted set as many fruit and persist as long. Contributing factors will include time of fruit set and bird pressure, but on my ten acres amidst a sea of horse farms and other properties with manicured turf, the birds tend to prefer the food and cover here.

'Asian Beauty': my first love, in 1990 I got 4 of these at a garden center in Louisville labeled as 'Shadow'. I soon met Don Shadow, an amazing plantsman and nurseryman in Winchester TN who also has an affinity for history and rare animals, esp. those related to turn of the century agriculture. He had developed this plant for smaller rounded clean foliage, an upright barrel shaped form, and heavy persistent cherry red fruiting. Its twigs seem to be more slender than other clones, giving 'Asian Beauty' a finer texture in winter. Fall color is a soft yellow with hints of red and orange, not outstanding. Only the -20ºFs of 1994 dealt them a blow with dieback to the snowline. They’ve grown back to almost 12’, and in the heaviest clay from the construction disturbance zone near my house. The four plants nearest my porch are still loaded with fruit, though somewhat darker now with the cold. 'Asian Beauty' provides hours of entertainment for our cats by harboring repeated winged winter visitors. Quercus, Smilax, Pokey, Nyssa, and Cercis (cats) rate this 10 nose prints on the window.

'Catskill': the only dwarf (compact) version I'm aware of, and procured in 1990 at the same time as 'Asian Beauty'. This compact plant was selected in the '50s as part of Don Egolf's breeding program at the National Arboretum. It has been a steady performer for me, presently standing about 5' tall and 6'+ wide. It is spreading and squat, compared to the others described here. 'Catskill' has darker almost blood red fruit, and not nearly in the abundance of 'Asian Beauty'. It does have more interesting fall foliage, with a mix of yellow-orange with tinges of red thrown in. The compactness is great, though, if you want a V. dilatatum for a smaller spot. I am attempting to propagate and grow more of these if I can get them taller than the rabbits that want to keep them even more dwarf. 7.5 noseprints.

'Erie': Got this plant in 1996, but had enjoyed seeing it for many years at arboreta and gardens. I have planted it from 5G pots and as a 6-8’ BB specimen. Another NA product, and a stout vigorous grower here, with the largest heavily textured foliage and similar barrel shape to 'Asian Beauty'. The contrast in foliage characters are significant, and the stems are quite large, seeming even clubby compared to 'Asian Beauty'. Produces the largest fruiting masses (and individual fruits) among my V. dilatatum, which are very bright red (like arterial blood compared to venous blood). Maybe that’s too gross; sorry, but it’s accurate. These fruits are persistant as well, and they will turn a fine coral after repeated freezes in winter. Fall color ranges from yellows into oranges, with some hints of red. 8.5 noseprints.

'Iroquois': made it to my yard finally in spring 2000, after a long search. I had visited this and other V. dilatatum in traveling to NA’s collections, the fine display at Longwood Gardens, and elsewhere and knew I couldn’t rest till it joined the menagerie. This is another selection from the NA made by Don Egolf. A stout plant, mine is about 7’x7’ (started with a large plant) and has the clubby character of 'Erie'. Its fruits are more prolific than 'Erie', though smaller and not as bright red. It has had an orangey-yellow fall color here. I want to see more of it, grown from small plants. 8 noseprints (on reputation, with local reservation).

'Michael Dodge': planted this in spring 2000 as well (a great viburnum year here at the Valley) from 3G pots, and these are now fat 8’+ specimens. What a performer! Very clean dark green leaves produced in abundance, thick vigorous stems, heavy flowering and fruiting (smaller individually than 'Erie', similar to the others, but denser clusters), fall color is mild yellow-orange. The yellow color of the fruit just glistens. It transforms to an orange, reminiscent of acorn squash flesh, after onset of subfreezing weather. It would be great just for the contrast in fruit color. Selected at Winterthur Gardens, I imagine it will resemble 'Erie' in habit and texture with time. 9 noseprints.

'Oneida': got first 3G plants in 1996, and a 5-6’er in 2000. It has rounder and thinner leaves than the rest of the V. dilatatum, due to its hybrid parentage of V. dilatatum x V. lobophyllum again generated by the late Don Egolf of the NA. I haven’t seen a lot of vigor from 'Oneida', though it has been reliable in flowering and fruit set. The mixed parentage contributes to a finer stem character, more like 'Asian Beauty'. Fruit color is darker red like 'Iroquois', smaller than 'Erie', and not particularly dense clusters. Fall color has been a fantastic red with orange highlights. 6.5 noseprints.

Comments on additional similar species I only have as rooted cuttings, but have observed larger plants elsewhere:

V. wrightii: I planted this for others in 1989; this should be a wonderful shrub for upper Midwest. Very shiny blood red fruits on barrel shaped plant, looks otherwise just like any V. dilatatum to me, with smaller rounded dark green textured leaves. Rare in the trade, I’d love to get this up to size here at home.

V. x 'Chippewa': a V. japonicum x V. dilatatum hybrid with outstanding heavy green textured foliage and vigorous habit. Unfortunately, I haven’t seen this near a pollinator (my little plants haven’t bloomed yet) so no info on fruits. I think this is going to be a great plant for KY.

V. x 'Huron': cut from the same mold as 'Chippewa', but from V. lobophyllum x V. japonicum parents. I’d expect behavior like 'Chippewa' and 'Oneida'. Has been less successful on the propagation front, but hope springs eternal; all the descriptions sound good.

Some summary points, if you’re still awake. You’ll find more of the clones for sale that are easy/reliable to propagate, not always the best plants. V. dilatatums are better performers on well-drained circumneutral loams in zone 6. For those that don’t realize it: never prune between, say, August and spring or you’ll be removing the next seasons flowers (and thus, fruit). Learn what flower buds look like. This is probably the biggest mistake of well-meaning gardeners with fruiting plants. And the V. dilatatum fruit are edible! After seeing Don Shadow gulping them down one November, I’ve been hooked. They are tart, but better after a few freezes.

As I stated in past posts, I’m always eager to accession more selections. Cardinal Candy™, 'Mt. Airy', 'Vernon Morris', 'Xanthocarpum' are all listed but not in my hands – yet. Propagation is another passion, and V. dilatatums are not difficult. Maybe a coordinated mission with like-hearted souls to the northeast where V. dilatatum is escaping cultivation…we could collect the wayward seedlings (esp. heavy persistent fruited, glossy leaved red fall colored ones with denser dwarfer habits).

When I snap my fingers, you will all awaken and remember nothing but that you must have viburnums.

Didn't you do this to me already? Isn't that why I have a yard full of them? I will save this to a word doc though since I can't find the other, thanks. :o)

SP...you should write a book

Well, VV, I for one have not seen this summary and I am going to print it out for future reference. Thank you for sharing your passion and experience. I have to say that the V. dilatatums and close relatives are my favorite viburnums. Sure, I like the fragrant spring types too. But I think I love fall in the garden better than any other season, and these wonderful shrubs, laden with their fruit and beautiful foliage, are anchors for a fall garden that includes lots of other woodies with great fall color as well as masses of asters, grasses, salvias, clematis, etc. With all my moving mine are not settled in yet, but I see they have lots of floral buds for next year so I am hoping finally for great things.

I do not see V. ichangense on your list (I think that's the spelling....). I think that is a close relative or a hybrid from this group, not sure of the exact taxonomy. But whatever it is, the one plant I saw under this name at the Scott Arboretum was one of the loveliest plants in this general group I have ever seen. Laden with fruit and with beautiful form, perhaps about 10' tall, it was a real beauty, and one that I would look for

Viburnum book--Dirr's is at the editor--2007 release.

V. ichangense--Forest Farm, and I think Gary might have it....not sure about that....mine came from FF